


Rough Hands

by doodlespook



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, HER HANDS ARE SO TINY IM DEAD, Pre-Relationship, Rayllum, just soft and sweet, set in xadia after they escape sol regem, smth i wrote after watching the trailer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-20 21:09:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21288224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doodlespook/pseuds/doodlespook
Summary: Art is hard, especially drawing body parts you aren't familiar with. Getting a good look at the subject helps, though.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 159





	Rough Hands

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ruehyte](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruehyte/gifts).

The night was quiet, and peaceful, for once. The Xadian forest was calm and Rayla didn’t seem to be on edge, so Callum wasn’t either. In fact, she was sat beside him near their little fire-pit, treating the prince of dragons to a belly rub.    
Zym lay on his back, on her lap, his tongue lolled out happily. She chuckled occasionally, a soft sound that Callum found he liked. He’d probably never get up the guts to tell her though.   
  
Even the owls in Xadia sounded different. Callum noticed as he continued drawing. Seeing Zym so happy and carefree had sparked the urge to get it onto paper, so he’d sat down and started immediately.    
  
He didn’t know when his drawing of Zym turned into a drawing of Rayla. And for the past five minutes, he’d struggled with her hands, a huff leaving his lips as his eyebrows furrowed in frustration. He erased it for the hundredth time. “Watcha’ drawin’?” An accented drawl almost made him jump and he glanced up at the curious elf.    
  
Her eyebrow was raised. And for some reason, his heart started to pound a little harder in his chest. _ ‘Was she always this pretty?’ _ “Uh-” He stuttered upon realizing he hadn’t answered. “It- nothing, I was just- Oh,”    
Rayla had rolled her eyes fondly, and shifted to get a better look at his book. Her eyes widened and he swore he saw her cheeks flush. Blinking a few times, his friend sat back, averting her gaze and smiling shyly. “Uh- me, huh?”   
  
Callum rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly sheepish. “I hope that’s okay?”    
Rayla grinned at him. “Of course, dummy.” she scoffed. Callum felt her words were a comfort. He dropped his hand back to his book and blamed his warm face on the fire.    
“I can’t get your hands right.” He huffed, looking down. “I got them right before, but this time I jus-” He cut off into a strangled noise, sitting straight up.    
  
Rayla stared at him, most definitely blushing now.  _ ‘That colour’s really pretty on her,’ _ He thought, then shook the thought away, clearing his throat. She ducked her head a bit. “You’ve… drawn me before?” She asked quietly.    
  
Her voice wasn’t usually quiet, but it sounded especially nice. He gulped and nodded timidly, unable to tear his eyes off her face. “Uh- y-yeah. I did, I’m sorry,”   
“That’s cute.”    
  
A beat of silence. Even Rayla seemed surprised she’d said it. Callum was the first to speak up with a tiny awkward laugh, looking away. “Oh- cute, huh? W-well uh,” He grinned, rubbing the back of his neck again. “Thanks.”   
  
Rayla looked away too, grinning apologetically. They fell into silence again, but Callum didn’t consider it awkward. He fell into the groove of drawing once more, watching Rayla start to pet Zym again out of the corner of his eye, lost in her own thoughts.    
He loved that look in her eyes, the human prince thought distantly. They’d glaze over, different emotions flickering in and out and sometimes a tiny little smile would poke at her lips. Callum quickly realized he was staring, and started, going back to drawing quickly just before she caught him.   
  
He tried to ignore her curious stare, and instead focused on his art. Annoyance was quick to build up again, however, and he sighed.  _ ‘Screw it.’ _ He thought, turning his attention on the elf again. “Hey, Rayla? Can I uh- see your hands? I-i can’t get them right, in this,” he gestured, suddenly losing confidence.    
  
Rayla’s ears twitched towards him before her eyes did, he noticed. She smiled, rolled her eyes, and held out her hand. “Sure.”   
  
It was small in his own. Maybe his hands were just big, but he was pretty sure it had something to do with her missing digit too. They were surprisingly dainty, too, but rough and scarred no doubt from her training. His own felt too soft, too sheltered to have the honour of holding hers.   
  
Callum, in a moment of pure idiocy, suddenly raised her hand to his lips and pressed a tiny kiss to the back. A strangled noise escaped her throat and he jerked away, watching her face flush pure purple-pink. She moved her arm quickly to her chest, staring at him. 

Callum had no excuse. So, he picked up his pencil and buried himself back in his art, trying to ignore the furious burning of his own face.    
He heard Rayla laugh breathily to herself, and then yawn. All of his embarrassment suddenly disappeared in place of concern. The prince lifted his head back up with a frown. “You should sleep. You’ve taken first watch the last few days, I can do it this time.”    
  
Rayla was still blushing, but scrunched up her nose at the mere suggestion. She opened her mouth to protest and he beat her to it. “I’ll protect you,” Callum promised, as sincere as he could. He expected her to hiss at him, maybe even snap, saying she could protect herself- and damn could she ever- but her scowl fell instead and she flushed once more.    
  
Rayla turned her face out of his view and he mourned the loss. “Fine.” She grumbled out. He beamed and watched her flop onto her side. He smiled fondly to himself as she stretched her arms out and yawned again, a tiny purr leaving her throat. He’d tease her about that later, the mage thought. She needed the rest.   
  
He found her hands were far easier to draw after that.    
  
  


  
  
  



End file.
